Conical Air Column

A conical air column will produce the same fundamental frequency as an open cylinder of the same length and will also produce all harmonics.

Conical air columns are employed in several of the woodwind musical instruments: oboe, bassoon, saxophone, and others.

Comparison of air columns
 Index

Wave concepts

Resonance concepts

Reference
Hall
Sec.13.2

Wolfe, UNSW
 
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Water tube resonance experiment

How does one tuning fork produce resonance at three different lengths?

For tuning fork frequency Hz and temperature= T = C
T = F,

the speed of sound is v= m/s
v = ft/s = mi/hr.

The closed tube fundamental resonance will be produced at length L = cm = ft , which is 1/4 of a wavelength.

If the water is lowered to cm
the third harmonic of the longer column will be excited by the fork. f1Hz
f3Hz
If the water is lowered to cm
the fifth harmonic of the column will sound along with the tuning fork. f1Hz
f3Hz
f5Hz
Note: If frequency and temperature are not specified, default values will be chosen. All values may be changed except for the lengths.
Discussion of closed air columnsComparison of air columnsCalculation for open column
 Index

Wave concepts

Resonance concepts
 
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